Crossbar switch module cabinet installation

ABSTRACT

A crossbar switch module box installation with a plurality of the module boxes mounted by slides in a cabinet for slide out access to crossbar switches during installation, test and maintainance. Module boxes are mounted in back to back relation to be slid in and out from the front and back of the electronic switch control cabinet and for maximum packaging density. Plug in connector equipped pendant cables are so installed as to facilitate the maximum packaging density slide in and out module box installation with the pendant cables looped up and over from their plug-in connectors with adequate slack to accomodate the sliding in and out of respective module boxes. The cables extend to and are looped through a cable clamp that tightly clamp holds the cables from a module box in place with a desired cable nonflexing bend to extend upward in the cabinet to electronic equipment thereinabove.

United States Patent [191 Ward [ CROSSBAR SWITCH MODULE CABINETINSTALLATION Inventor: Lloyd G. Ward, 3142 Lariat Dr., Garland, Tex.75042.

Filed: July 17, 1973 Appl. No; 379,933

[52] US. Cl. 3l7/l22, l74/DIG. 9, 317/101 CB,

179/98 Int. Cl. H02b 1/04, H02b 1/20 Field of Search .1. 317/99, 101 CB,112, 120,

317/101 DH,122; 179/98, 99; 174/DIG. 9, 69

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1969 Webb 317/122 4/1972 Leone-.317/101CB 8/1973 Yoshii ..3l7/122 Primary Examinen-Robert K. SchaeferAssistant Examiner-Gerald P. Tolin Attorney, Agent, or FirmWarren H.Kintzinger June 18, 1974 Y w ABSTRACT A crossbar switch module boxinstallation with a plurality of the module boxes mounted by slides in acabinet for slide out access to crossbar switches during installation,test and maintainance. Module boxes are mounted in back to back relationto he slid in and out from the front and back of the electronic switchcontrol cabinet and for maximum packaging density. Plug in connectorequipped pendant cables are so installed as to facilitate the maximumpackaging density slide in and out module box installation with thependant cables looped up and over from their plug-in connectors withadequate slack to accomodate the sliding in and out of respective moduleboxes. The cables extend to and are looped through a cable clamp thattightly clamp holds the cables from a module box in place with a desiredcable non-flexing bend to extend upward in the cabinet to electronicequipment thereina bove.

18 Claims, Drawing Figures CROSSBAR SWITCH MODULE CABINET INSTALLATIONtively working to properly repair and maintain the switching stationsystem. Obviously, such complexity and onerous service requirements mustbe lessened and/or overcome in providing an acceptable private telephoneswitching control exchange system designed to satisfy the requirementsof all business and industry applications where key telephones arepractical. It is importnat that space requirements be minimized for suchprivate automatic branch exchange useage and that the system beexpandable by increments from a minimum center switching capability to amaximum by addition of modular sections as required. Even further, it isimportant to optimize transmission characteristics and also to takeadvantage of the speed and reliability inherently attainable through useof solid state circuitry.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide aprivate key telephone exchange switching center attractively enclosedwith modular crossbar units for maximum equipment density in a systemusing hard contact switching techniques via crossbar contacts andminature telephone relays combined with solid state control.

Another object is to optimize transmission characteristics while takingadvantage of the speed and reliability attained with solid statecircuitry.

A further object is to provide improved test and maintainance withmodular crossbar units slidably mounted for easy access, removal and/orreplacement.

Another object with such key telephone exchange units is to provide acable to crossbar module interconnect system with plug-in connectorsfacilitating slide-in slide-out positioning for maintainance andtesting.

Features of this invention useful in accomplishing the above objectsinclude, in a crossbar switch module cabinet installation as part of aprivate key telephone cabinet packaged exchange switching center, aplurality of crossbar switch module boxes mounted by cabinet slides forslide-in slide-out access to the crossbar switches during installation,test and maintainance. Further, crossbar module boxes are mounted inbackto-back relation to be slid in and out from the front and back ofthe electronic switch control cabinet when front and rear cabinet panelsare removed and for maximum packaging density. Plug-in connectorequipped pendant cables facilitate the maximum packaging densityinstallation arrangement with the pendant cables looped up and over fromtheir respective plug-in connections to module boxes and cable slackaccommodating sliding in. and out of the respective module boxes. Aclamp support for each module box family of cables clamps the cableswith a fixed minimum radius between the slack lengths thereof and theupward extension therefrom to connection with electronic equipmentwithin the cabinet thereinabove.

A specific embodiment representing what is presently regarded as thebest mode of carrying out the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 represents a broken away perspective view of a private automaticbranch telephone exchange cabinet I with the upper portion removedshowing a multiple crossbar module installation in the cabinet base;

FIG. 2, an enlarged perspective view of a single crossbar switch moduleshowing cabinet slide mounting detail therefor and with the module inthe slid out state;

FIG. 3, an end view of crossbar module upper slide detail; and

FIG. 4, an end view of crossbar module mounting lower slide detail.-

Referring to the drawings:

The private automatic branch telephone exchange cabinet 10 of FIG. 1 isshown with the upper portion of the cabinet and other sections thereofremoved including a front panel (not shown), while a rear panel 11 isstill in place, to show crossbar module box installation bay 12. Thefront and rear panels 11 that are duplicates of each other are mountedby conventional means (detail not shown) and extend transversely tocover flan ges 13 of left and right sides ML and 14R of the cabinet 10.When the front or rear panel 11 is removed any of the front crossbarmodule boxes 15F, with the front panel 11F off, or of the rear crossbarmodule boxes 15R, with the rear panel 11R off, may be slid out and backin. This is with the upper mounting slide guide assembly 16 and with thecrossbar module lower mounting slide guide assembly 17.mounting of eachcrossbar module box 15 facilitating such movement.

The crossbar module box installation bay 12 is divided into individualcrossbar module receiving sections for both front and back module boxes15 by vertically extended divider panels 18 fastened to bay bottom plate19 and at the top to bay top framing 20. Referring'also to FIG. 2divider panels 18 also mount cable clamps 21 that are fastened theretoby two end bolts or screws 22 and a longer center bolt or screw 23 totightly clamp a crossbar module set of five cables 24 in place againstthe respective divider panel with a minimum radius (particularly of theinnermost cable 24) non-flexing fixed loop turn 25. This loop turn 25 isbetween the upward extended portion 26 of the cables 24 extending tocabinet 10 housed electronic equipment thereinabove (not shown) and anupwardly arched slack section 27 of cables 24. The arched slack section27 of cables 24 as pendant cables terminate in a downward angled set offive male connectors 28 plugged into mating engagement with five femaleconnectors 29 fixed in place on the back side of connector mount plate30 with a portion of each female connector 29 projecting through slantedopenings 31 in connector mount plate 30. The female connectors 29 arepermanently mounted in place and permanently wired into back wiring 32of the respective crossbar module box 15. The five male connectors 28may be disconnected from their respective mating female connectors 29,however, bracket 33 spanning all five male connectors mounting 28 andfastened in place on connector mount plate 30 by screws 34'insures thatthe male connectors 28 remain in mating engagement with their femaleconnectors 29 unless it is intended that they be disconnected. Thisfirst requires that bracket 33 be dismounted from an assembly thatinsures connector engagement throughout the entire range of crossbarmodule box in and out sliding movement.

Referring also to FIG. 3 each crossbar module upper mounting slide guideassembly 16 includes a T shaped bracket unit 35 mounted in place on topframing 20 by bolt assemblies 36. Each upper slide guide assembly 16also includes opposite side metal bands 37 each with a plastic strip 38(nylon in this instance) at the inner side,

all assembled to the stem 39 of the T bracket unit 35 still have aportion within the guide between nylon strips 38 with that particularmodule box 15 slid to its I outermost stop position.

Referring in addition to FIG. 4 each crossbar lower mounting slide guideassembly 17 includes a U shaped guide track 44, fixed to the bay bottomplate 19 by bonding or screws (detail not shown), with the track holdinga sheet of Teflon 45 therewithin-on the inside base of the U shape (inend view) of track 44. The U shape of guide'track 44 includes turnedover inwardly extended upper ends 46 having inner downward extendedflange extensions 47 that guide restrain upturned edges 48 of the cross49 of inverted T shaped guide strip 50. The shank 51 of T shaped guidestrip 50 is mounted to respective module boxes by screw fasteners 52.The cross of T shaped guide strip 50 slidingly rides on a bed of Teflonin sliding over the Teflon sheet 45. Teflon is used here since theweight of a crossbar module box must be supported thereby while nylonmay be used with upper mounting slide guide assem- 17. With crossbarmodule boxes 15 slid into their innermost positions cotter keys 18 maybe inserted through openings 59 in U shaped guide tracks 44 and throughopenings 60 in the shanks of inverted T shaped guide strips 50 to fixstabilize the inserted position of the module boxes 15 within bay 12 ofthe cabinet 10 through extended periods of normal automatic branchtelephone exchange useage. The crossbar module boxes 15 are providedwith a transparent cover panel 61 through which internal electronics 62may be viewed with a transparent cover panel'61 held in place on eachbox 15 by snap on rectangular molding frames 63 (refer to the partiallypulled out box 15F in FIG. 1).

Whereas this invention is herein illustrated and described with respectto a specific embodimenthereof, it should be realized that variouschanges may be made without departing from essential contributions artmade by the teachings hereof.

I claim:

1. An electronic equipment module cabinet installation, including:electronic equipment module mounting means permittinginward and outwardmovement of an electronic equipment module; a family of electric wirecables connected to said electronic equipment module;

' said family of cables at their connection points to said movement; andwith slack lengths of said cables in said blies 16 with the lighter dutyrequirements imposed thereon and aresulting material cost savings. Theinnermost end of each inverted T shaped guide strip 50 is equipped witha stop pin 53 horizontally transversly extended therethrough. Endprojections 54 of stop pin 53 come into stopping engagement with theinner end 55 of the mating U shaped guide track 44 to stop the crossbarmodule box 15 in its outermost position with the slanted end portion ofupper edge 42 of the connector mount plate 30 of that module box 15still retained within the guide between nylon strips 38 at the top.Please note thatmodule boxes 15 slide into the innermost positions withinner ends 56 of T guide strips 50 in abutting stop engagement with stopblocks 57 mounted on bay bottom plate 19 (mounting means not shown). Inthis state the inverted T shaped guide strips 50 extend well into thebase area of the immediately adjacent front and rear end to end relatedmodule box closely adjacent the bottom of a divider panel 18 and justabove bay bottom plate 19 with these alternating in their back to backreversed relation and in accord with the design symmetry thereof.Reference to the lower fore corner of the cabinet 10v through the brokenaway portion of cabinet wall 14R and broken away portion of dividerpanel 19 should help in visualizing the slid in relationof lowermounting slide guide assemblies family of electric wire cables runningfrom the connection points of said cables to said module to said clampsupport means.

2. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 1,wherein the connection points of said family of cables are through twoelongate mating connector elements for each cable with a first connectorelement mounted to a connector mount plate at the top of said electronicequipment module; a second connector element connected to an end of acable of said family of cables; and with a plurality of said firstelongate connector elements mounted in aligned slanted parallel relationand the slant being from the bottom of each first connector element backto the top in the direction of said module permitted inward movement.

3. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim '2,wherein said electronic equipment module mounting means permittinginward and outward movement of an electronic equipment module includes,cabinet mounted module mounting slide guide means; longitudinallyslideable element means in said guide means; inner module position stopmeans mounted in said cabinet engaged as a stop by an element of saidslideable element means; and outer module position stop means mounted insaid cabinet engaged as a stop by an element of said slideable elementmeans.

4. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 3,wherein said slack lengths of said family of cables are so matched inlength and of sufficient to the nection with its individual secondconnector element upward and back, as a pendant cable, in initiallywhere the cable departs from its said second connector elementsubstantially the same slant established by the slant of said firstconnector elements when said second connector elements are plugged inmating engagement with said first connector elements.

6. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 5,wherein said connector mount plate is a vertically and longitudinallyextended planar plate mounted on said electronic equipment modulegenerally parallel to the direction of said module permitted inward andoutward movement.

- 7. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 6,wherein said cables of said family of cables in addition to initiallyextending upward and back also extend away from said connector mountplate in a loop to clamped contact with said panel beneath said clampsupport means; and with said panel transversely displaced from saidconnector mount plate.

8. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 7,wherein said first and second connector elements are mating elongatemultiple pin and multiple socket connectors; and bracket means spanningthe plurality of said second connector elements in connector matingretaining contact for a cable family when the bracket is mounted inplace on said connector mount plate.

9. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 7,wherein the cables of said family of cables enters the clamped statebehind said clamp support means from the slack lengths thereof to extendthrough said fixed cable radius turn to emerge in upwardly extended sideby side cable continuation of said cable family to distributedconnection with cabinet contained electronic equipment at variouslocations displaced therefrom.

10. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 6,wherein said cabinet mounted module slide guide means includes a lowercombination module mount and slide guide assembly with a U shapedchannel member mounted in fixed position in said cabinet below saidmodule when the module is in the slid in state; an elongated inverted Tshaped member longer than said U shaped channel member with the shank ofthe T fastened to the bottom portion of said module and the cross of theinverted T shaped member fitted into and guided in relative longitudinalsliding movement by said U shaped channel member; and a sheet of drylubricant material extended substantially the length of and in the baseof said U shaped member providing a slidable supporting base for thecross of said T shaped member.

11. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 10,wherein said cabinet mounted module mounting slide guide means alsoincludes an upper mounting slide guide assembly with spaced apartparallel longitudinally extended slide guide members mounted in fixedposition in said cabinet above said module when the module is in theslid in state; said spaced apart parallel longitudinally extended slideguide members being lined with sheets of dry lubricant material extendedsubstantially the longitudinal length of said spaced apart parallelslide guide members; and a module member upper edge slidingly receivedbetween said spaced apart parallel slide guide members forlongitudinally guided sliding movement therein.

12. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 11,wherein said module member upper edge is the upper edge of saidconnector mount plate;

and with said connector mount plate having a slanted inner end topresent greater length at the top and still have a portion between theupper mounted slide guide spaced apart parallel slide guide members.

13. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 12,wherein said outer module position stop means includes, a stop pinmounted and carried by the inner end portion of said inverted T shapedmember; and the inner end of said U shaped channel member in alignmentwith end portions of said stop pin being the stop therefor when saidmodule is slid to its outermost stop position. a

14. The electronic equipment module'cabinet installation of claim 13,wherein said inner module position stop means is provided by a stopmember mounted in said cabinet to be engaged by the inner end of saidinverted T shaped member as it and the module are slid into theinnermost module stop position.

15. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 14,wherein a plurality of said electronic equipment modules are mounted inclosely spaced high equipment density relation within a cabinet bay.

16. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 15,wherein a plurality of said electronic equipment modules are mounted inclosely spaced side by side relation.

17. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 16,wherein said cabinet bay has front and rear openings with removablefront and rear cover panels; there are two back to back rows of closelyspaced side by side electronic equipment modules with one row of modulesslidable out to the front and with the other row of modules slidable outto the rear.

18. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 17,wherein there is a family of cables for each module; a plurality ofpanels mounting said clamp support means one for each of said modules;and with the inverted T shaped members of said lower combination modulemount and slide guide assembly of each module projecting from the rearof the module far into the cabinet bay area of the row of modules to therear of the respective modules when the respective modules are in theslid in limit position.

1. An electronic equipment module cabinet installation, including: electronic equipment module mounting means permitting inward and outward movement of an electronic equipment module; a family of electric wire cables connected to said electronic equipment module; said family of cables at their connection points to said module being in longitudinal alignment in the direction of module permitted inward and outward movement; a panel mounted in said cabinet; clamp support means mounted on said panel clamping said family of electric wire cables on said panel in a fixed cable radius turn relation with the cables in substantially planar side by side relation through the cable lengths in the fixed cable radius turn and under the clamp support means against said panel in a plane substantially parallel to the direction of said module permitted inward and outward movement; and with slack lengths of said cables in said family of electric wire cables running from the connection points of said cables to said module to said clamp support means.
 2. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 1, wherein the connection points of said family of cables are through two elongate mating connector elements for each cable with a first connector element mounted to a connector mount plate at the top of said electronic equipment module; a second connector element connected to an end of a cable of said family of cables; and with a plurality of said first elongate connector elements mounted in aligned slanted parallel relation and the slant being from the bottom of each first connector element back to the top in the direction of said module permitted inward movement.
 3. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 2, wherein said electronic equipment module mounting means permitting inward and outward movement of an electronic equipment module includes, cabinet mounted module mounting slide guide means; longitudinally slideable element means in said guide means; inner module position stop means mounted in said cabinet engaged as a stop by an element of said slideable element means; and outer module position stop means mounted in said cabinet engaged as a stop by an element of said slideable element means.
 4. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 3, wherein said slack lengths of said family of cables are so matched in length and of sufficient lengths to permit the full range of module slid-in slid-out movement with the cable connector elements remaining connected and the cables retaining an aligned side by side relation.
 5. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 4, wherein a plurality of said second connector elements are connected individually to cable ends with each cable initially extending from its connection with its individual second connector element upward and back, as a pendant cable, in initially where the cable departs from its said second connector element substantially the same slant established by the slant of said first connector elements when said second connector elements are plugged in mating engagement with said first connector elements.
 6. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 5, wherein said connector mount plate is a vertically and longitudinally extended planar plate mounted on said electronic equipment module generally parallel to the direction of said module permitted inward and outward movement.
 7. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 6, wherein said cables of said family of cables in addition to initially extending upward and back also extend away from said connector mount plate in a loop to clamped contact with said panel beneath said clamp support means; and with said panel transversely displaced from said connector mount plate.
 8. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 7, wherein said first and second connector elements are mating elongate multiple pin and multiple socket connectors; and bracket means spanning the plurality of said second connector elements in connector mating retaining contact for a cable family when the bracket is mounted in place on said connector mount plate.
 9. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 7, wherein the cables of said family of cables enters the clamped state behind said clamp support means from the slack lengths thereof to extend through said fixed cable radius turn to emerge in upwardly extended side by side cable continuation of said cable family to distributed connection with cabinet contained electronic equipment at various locations displaced therefrom.
 10. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 6, wherein said cabinet mounted module slide guide means includes a lower combination module mount and slide guide assembly with a U shaped channel member mounted in fixed position in said cabinet below said module when the module is in the slid in state; an elongated inverted T shaped member longer than said U shaped channel member with the shank of the T fastened to the bottom portion of said module and the cross of the inverted T shaped member fitted into and guided in relative longitudinal sliding movement by said U shaped channel member; and a sheet of dry lubricant material extended substantially the length of and in the base of said U shaped member providing a slidable supporting base for the cross of said T shaped member.
 11. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 10, wherein said cabinet mounted module mounting slide guide means also includes an upper mounting slide guide assembly with spaced apart parallel longitudinally extended slide guide members mounted in fixed position in said cabinet above said module when the module is in the slid in state; said spaced apart parallel longitudinally extended slide guide members being lined with sheets of dry lubricant material extended substantially the longitudinal length of said spaced apart parallel slide guide members; and a module member upper edge slidingly received between said spaced apart parallel slide guide members for longitudinally guided sliding movement therein.
 12. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 11, wherein said module member upper edge is the upper edge of said connector mount plate; and with said connector mount plate having a slanted inner end to present greater length at the top and still have a portion between the upper mounted slide guide spaced apart parallel slide guide members.
 13. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 12, wherein said outer module position stop means includes, a stop pin mounted and carried by the inner end portion of said inverted T shaped member; and the inner end of said U shaped channel member in alignment with end portions of said stop pin being the stop therefor when said module is slid to its outermost stop position.
 14. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 13, wherein said inner module position stop means is provided by a stop member mounted in said cabinet to be engaged by the inner end of said inverted T shaped member as it and the module are slid into the innermost module stop position.
 15. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 14, wherein a plurality of said electronic equipment modules are mounted in closely spaced high equipment density relation within a cabinet bay.
 16. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 15, wherein a plurality of said electronic equipment modules are mounted in closely spaced side by side relation.
 17. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 16, wherein said cabinet bay has front and rear openings with removable front and rear cover panels; there are two back to back rows of closely spaced side by side electronic equipment modules with one row of modules slidable out to the front and with the other row of modules slidable out to the rear.
 18. The electronic equipment module cabinet installation of claim 17, wherein there is a family of cables for each module; a plurality of panels mounting said clamp support means one for each of said modules; and with the inverted T shaped members of said lower combination module mount and slide guide assembly of each module projecting from the rear of the module far into the cabinet bay area of the row of modules to the rear of the respective modules when the respective modules are in the slid in limit position. 